Tony Gonzalez wants to put you into the driver’s seat

Atlanta Falcon Tony Gonzalez, arguably the best tight end in football, and his wife, October, have listed their Manhattan Beach house for sale at $3.6 million.

Should the NFL player sell for full price, he’s promised to include a nice accessory in the four-car garage: a new Porsche 911 Cabriolet.

The Spanish-style beach house, built in 1983, is two blocks from the sand. Its 1,700-square-foot rooftop deck, with views from Malibu to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, is one of its best features, Gonzalez said. The roof deck has several living areas -- one has a built-in grill and sound system -- and there’s even an outdoor bedroom.

“I totally gutted the house when I bought it,” said Gonzalez, who purchased the property in 2003 for $1,575,000, according to public records. “It was amazing to see the transformation from what it was to what it is now.”

The home’s 3,725 square feet of living space include two living rooms, an upgraded kitchen, a dining room, a bar, four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The master bedroom suite was expanded to feature a fireplace and patio.

“It broke my heart to let the house go,” he said, “but we have a family now and wanted to move closer to the grandparents down in Huntington Beach.”

Gonzalez, 33, was born in Torrance. He played football, baseball and basketball for Huntington Beach High School and continued in football and basketball at UC Berkeley. The Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in 1997, and he was traded to the Falcons in April.

Among his NFL records for a tight end: He had the most receptions -- 102 -- in a season in 2004, and the most seasons -- four -- with at least 1,000 yards receiving. He has made 10 Pro Bowl appearances.

Supporters of many causes, Gonzalez and his wife posed largely in the buff for an anti-fur ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals late last year alongside the text: “We’d rather go naked than wear fur.”

The house had been listed for three months in late 2008 at $3,999,000. Kofi Natei Nartey of Sotalot Realty Group, Los Angeles, is the listing agent.

The L word these days is landlord

“How I Met Your Mother” actress and former model Cobie Smulders has purchased a Los Feliz-area triplex for $991,000.

The 1922 Southern Colonial-style property has two town houses and a carriage house with a balcony above the garage. Each unit has two bedrooms, one bathroom and hardwood floors, and they sit behind hedges among mature trees.

Smulders, 27, stars in the CBS romantic comedy (2005-present) and has appeared on other shows, including “The L Word” (2005) and “Smallville” (2004).

The property came on the market in June at $989,000.

The listing agent was Greg Bender of Prudential California Realty’s Los Feliz office. Stephanie Younger of Teles Properties’ Brentwood office represented the buyer.

He’s out of the picture now

Fashion photographer David LaChapelle has sold his 1920s Spanish-style home in the Sunset Strip area for $1.6 million.

The multilevel house with a view of the Chateau Marmont has three bedrooms and 1 1/2 bathrooms in an open floor plan of 1,912 square feet. There is a remodeled kitchen, dark hardwood floors, a blue-tile swimming pool and a spa.

LaChapelle, 46, who has published books, directed videos and made documentaries, is known for his portraits of celebrities, including David Beckham, Lance Armstrong, Britney Spears and Mariah Carey.

The photographer bought the house in 1999 for $800,000, property records indicate.

Barry Peele of Sotheby’s International Realty, Beverly Hills, had the listing, and Daniel P. Signani of Prudential California Realty, Beverly Hills, represented the buyer.

Selling a piece of ‘California’s Gold’

PBS personality Huell Howser, has listed his 60-acre Newberry Springs compound with its dome-shaped home for $750,000.

Vard Wallace, who built a business selling drafting machines and airplane parts to Lockheed Corp. and other aircraft companies during World War II, had the high desert retreat constructed as his getaway, according to Los Angeles Times archives. The home sits about midway between Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Completed in 1968 and designed by Harold Bissner Jr., the spaceship-shaped home was to resemble the information center at the construction site of the nuclear power plant at San Onofre.

Built on a volcanic cinder cone, the dome has tempered glass walls at ground level. Concrete and beams form the dome, which has 360-degree views of the mountains and surrounding desert. At the apex of the dome is an observation deck.

The main house has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a conversation pit and a fireplace. The ceiling of the dome is covered with steam-bent fir. The compound also includes a guesthouse with one bedroom and one bathroom. There is a three-car carport.

Howser, 64, is host of the travel documentary show “California’s Gold” (1991-present).

Mike Deasy and Scott Quattrochi of Deasy Penner & Partners, Beverly Hills, have the listing.

A happy ending in Studio City

Update: Writer-director-producer Aaron Seltzer has sold his Studio City home for $2,397,500, the Multiple Listing Service shows.

The Cape Cod-inspired house, built in 1951, has five bedrooms and 5 1/2 bathrooms in about 4,200 square feet. It sits off a cul-de-sac on nearly a half-acre lot with a saltwater swimming pool, spa and cabana. The two-story home, designed for indoor-outdoor living, has a sun room with walls of French doors and private gardens outside some of the bedroom suites.

The house has a history of residents who write.

Seltzer worked as a writer, director and producer of “Disaster Movie” (2008) and “Meet the Spartans” (2008). He has been a co-writer on the “Scary Movie” film series.

The home was previously owned by the late Arthur Ross, whose writing credits include “The Great Race” (1965) and “Creature From the Black Lagoon” (1954). His son Gary Ross, who wrote and directed “Seabiscuit” (2003) and “Pleasantville” (1998), grew up in the home.

The listing agent was Sharona Alperin of Sotheby’s International Realty, Sunset Boulevard. Alperin was the inspiration for the Knack’s 1979 hit, “My Sharona.” Peter Maurice of Coldwell Banker’s Beverly Hills East office represented the buyer.

lauren.beale@latimes.com